The Ties That Bind
by Khalia-sama
Summary: The ties of a rope are best used together rather than on their own. However, there is a special ingredient that holds these ties together. Without it, the ties become weak. Digimon Adventure - OC.


_**The Ties That Bind**_

* * *

_**Digimon Adventure**__, the plotline, and all related characters and trademarks are copyrighted to Akiyoshi Hongo._

_**Hikari**__ and her family and any changes to the plotline are copyrighted to me._

**_This_**_** fanfiction** was intended for entertainment purposes only._

_**Japanese** names/attacks are used instead of the dubbed versions._

**I: Braiding the Cord**

* * *

"Hikari-san, why don't you take off that jacket of yours? It's summer; aren't you hot?"

Dull amber eyes glanced away from one of the many bus's windows into a pair of concerned red eyes. The owner, Hikari, shook her head and turned back to the window. The one with the red eyes continued to glance on in concern, but soon left the girl alone.

_'I guess I should start off with an introduction. My name is Sunda, Hikari. I am in the fifth grade, and currently attending Odaiba Elementary School. Currently, I am on a bus that will take me and a few dozen other children to a summer camp for our summer vacation.'_

Hikari sighed a little as she watched the buildings of the city fade away and luscious trees replace them.

_This is going to be a long summer,_ the girl thought bitterly.

* * *

It hadn't been but a few hours and already young Hikari was feeling a tad bit miserable. Hikari sat underneath the shade of a tall tree, welcoming the much-needed relief from the sweltering heat. Of course, it'd be all the better if she just took off her jacket. Hikari sighed softly and ran her fingers through her black hair. Not even a day and Hikari was ready to go home.

The summer sun reigned high in the sky, bestowingon those below it unforgiving waves of heat. Nothing was quite unusual about that, until heavy clouds blotted the star out. Hikari was still contently laying against the tree's massive trunk, curled up with her knees to her chest and her hands clasped in front of her.

"Ah!"

Hikari quickly bolted upright. She rubbed at her throat ferociously. She felt moisture. _Cold water? Is it raining?_ She looked into the sky, noting the absence of the sun. What really startled her, however, was the presence of tiny snowflakes languidly drifting to the ground. One after another fell. Hikari lifted her palm open to catch one of the flakes, and watched as it dissolved into water, which gently trickled down the side of her hand as she tilted it.

"Snow? At this time of year?" she asked softly.

With a sudden change of tempo, the calm summer day turned violent with an angry breeze. The snow began to fall faster and at a harsher rate, forcing the young campers to retreat inside their cabins.

"Oi! Hikari-chan! Hurry up!" one of the counselors yelled at the girl.

She blushed softly and raced toward the nearest cabin.

* * *

The heavy snow and ferocious winds finally settled as the hours passed away. Hikari and the other children within her cabin all looked toward the ceiling as they finally heard silence. For a while, no one moved or made a sound, until one young boy stood and walked toward the door.

_'If I remember correctly, that boy there goes by the name of Yagami, Taichi. He is in the fifth grade as well, and attends the same elementary school as I do.'_

Taichi opened the door wide open and stood before the entrance. He blinked once before smiling widely. "It finally stopped," his voice mimicked his feeling as he quickly rushed outside and into the door.

A little boy followed Taichi's movements, rushing out the door and brushing away his troublesome blonde fringe. "Snow! This is so awesome!" his boyish voice squealed in delight.

'The little young one, Takaishi, Takeru is his name.'

An older boy with blonde hair and blue eyes rushed after Takeru. "Hey, Takeru, be careful!" he exclaimed.

_'He would be Ishida, Yamato, also known as the older brother of Takeru.'_

A girl sporting red hair and matching red eyes walked up to the entrance of the cabin and quickly began to rub her arms in attempt to warm her body up. "Brr, it's freezing. It's hard to believe that it's summer," she chattered out as she, too, walked into the snow.

_'Takenouchi, Sora. Same age and grade as Taichi and myself.'_

"Let's hurry back to where the adults are. The longer we stay here..." a boy with navy blue hair and troublesome frown on his face began as he tailed the others.

"Wow! So pretty!" a young girl with an outrageous pink hat exclaimed.

_'Kido, Jyou and Tachikawa Mimi. Out of the eight of us, Jyou is the oldest in the sixth grade. Mimi is in the fourth grade.'_

Hikari rubbed her eyes from the sudden bright light pouring into the cabin before finally making her way out. She passed a boy with deep red hair. He was feverishly working on his computer, trying to make a connection, but to no avail.

_'And finally, Izumi, Koushiro. He would be in the fourth grade, the same as Mimi.'_

Hikari jumped out of the cabin and into the snow. She glanced around at the frozen liquid and cocked her head. She drew her arms closer to her body as she felt the full effect of the icy chill. Young Takeru was busily pushing large amounts of snow together, undoubtedly attempting to make something akin to a snowman. The other children, however, were looking around just as Hikari was, attempting to make sense of the situation.

Hikari blinked in question as the dull, drab sky suddenly burst forth into a brilliant amount of colors. They twisted and danced like the waves at a beach.

"Koushiro! Come out and look at this!" Taichi called out to the boy still within the cabin.

Now that all eight children were outside, all eyes were turned toward the sky in amazement and wonder. Hikari's eyes sparkled slightly at the sight before them.

"Beautiful! It's so romantic!" Mimi exclaimed in a dreamy sort of way.

Gasps resounded from the others as they continued to stare. Koushiro trotted slowly up behind Taichi. His mouth was slightly agape. "That's..." he murmered in disbelief.

"An aurora!" Sora finished for him in deep amazement.

Hikari trotted closer to the little hill all eight of them stood on until she stood just behind Jyou. She listened to the others give praise and awe to the aurora just above them in the sky. Though she felt the same wonderment as the others, Hikari could not but help but allow confusion to grip her.

"But that's weird! How can there be an aurora in Japan?" Koushiro accomplished the task of voicing Hikari's and others' similar thoughts.

"You're right..." Sora trailed off.

"We should get back to the camp where the adults are..." Jyou began in a worried voice.

"Yeah. It wouldn't be cool if we got sick," Yamato finished for him.

Hikari silently nodded, more than happy to go back. She turned to walk away, but paused at Taichi's sudden outburst of, "Hey, what's that?"

Hikari turned around once more and looked into the sky. Swirling beyond the beautiful aurora was a green vortex. A bright light began to slowly bubble at the center of the vortex. Taichi and the others glanced curiously at this, until danger became apparent. The single light began to separate into eight tails, headed by a bright red globe. As each object came into contact with the snow-covered ground, the eight children crouched low and covered their heads.

"Is everyone alright?" Sora exclaimed, being the first to react.

The replies given were mostly verbal, however, Hikari stuck to remaining silent; eyes closed and heads panted firmly on her head. Koushiro crawled toward one of the impact sites slowly. "A meteorite...?" his curiosity had been peaked. Koushiro suddenly gasped. Another bright light emanated from where the impact site was, and an object floated skyward.

Eight objects emerged and each child grabbed one as it ascended. They all looked at the objects curiously. Hikari held hers in her cupped hands, eyeing it with a strange expression.

"What...are these?" Sora asked to no one in particular.

"It's neither a pager nor a cell phone..." Koushiro replied, holding his in one of his gloved hands.

The screens suddenly glowed an emerald green. Rushing water pricked at the children's ears as they looked up cautiously. They were frozen in fear as a tall, sea-green tidal wave erupted in front of them, completely out of no where! The wave split open, and the eight children were sucked in. Eight screams filled the air and soon dissipated into nothing.

* * *

"Hikari-san?"

Someone was calling the girl's name. She stirred slightly, but did not feel compelled enough to answer the call.

"Hikari-san, please wake up!"

This time it was a plea. Hikari slowly opened her eyes, absently noting that she was laying on her stomach. Her vision was blurred, but not terrible enough to where she could not see her surroundings. The purity of the snow had been replaced by a luscious green. It was grass she lay on, comfortable and soft from what her outstretched hands were telling her.

Hikari picked herself up onto her hands and knees. She shook her head slightly, swishing her hair around her shoulders.

"Hikari-san?"

Hikari looked up to find the owner of the voice. Amber eyes became as large as saucers before a startled yelp echoed around the unnoticed trees and other foliage. Hikari fell backwards, but quickly picked herself up again and scurried in the opposite direction from the creature in front of her. She was stopped abruptly from escaping the creature by a tree.

Hikari whimpered in fear as her eyes swam with a mixture of emotions as the creature bounced forward. It had no legs and was a soft hue of lavender with bright black eyes and a simple smile adorning its simple face. Its head erupted into a long nub surrounded by a circle of shorter, curved nubs.

It finally came to a halt at the terrified girl's feet before smiling wider. "Oh, Hikari-san! You've finally come! You've finally come!" it cheered, bouncing up and down even more than a young child with too much sugar in its system.

Hikari began to slide her back up the tree until she was standing with all of her weight leaning against the surprisingly smooth bark. "Wh-What?" she squeaked out, "what in the w-world are you!?"

The creature stopped bouncing and looked at Hikari with a confused look. "Me? I'm Munmon," it stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"M-Munmon?" Hikari repeated. She slowly began to calm down, noticing how the creature, Munmon as it was called, meant no harm to the girl. Munmon closed its eyes and smiled. "Yup!"

Hikari could feel her heart rate returning to normal, along with that came the return of her senses. Hikari stood up by herself and brushed her hair out of her face, tugging down the sleeves of her grey jacket. She walked around Munmon and back toward the spot she awoke. Munmon bounced after her.

"It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Digital World!" Munmon exclaimed ecstatically.

"D-Digital World?" Hikari repeated softly.

"Mhm More specifically, File Island."

Hikari stood in her tracks, looking around at her surroundings. This was not supposed to happen. Snow wasn't supposed to fall during the summer, nor were tidal waves supposed to come crashing down out of nowhere. Tears pricked the corners of Hikari's eyes as she took off in the direction in front of her, hoping to escape Munmon and the bizarre place she had been carelessly thrown into.

* * *

Six out of the eight children had managed to find one another after waking up. Not only that, but each had a companion that called itself a 'Digital Monster.' Some were more startled than others, but for the most part, each child slowly came to accept the fact that the little creatures were real and not a part of their imagination.

"I'm Koromon," a pastel pink ball with long crooked ears spoke up.

"I'm Tsunomon," a mostly orange furred creature with a black protruding horn said.

"I'm Pyocomon," a pink ball with small tentacles for legs and a large flower protruding from its head said.

"I'm Motimon," a pastel pink blob with arms said.

"I'm Pukamon," a floating brown seal-like creature with a flaming orange fringe said.

"I'm Tokomon," a pale pink four-legged creature with long crooked ears said.

Taichi then returned the gesture by introducing each child present, so the Digital Monsters would know for later.

"Okay! That's everyone, right?" Taichi asked after the introductions were finished.

"Wait! I'm sure there were two others with us..." Sora spoke up.

"Mimi-san and Hikari-san! Tachikawa, Mimi-san and Sunda, Hikari-san aren't here!" Koushiro exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, Mimi-kun from fourth grade! There's something I have to give her..." Jyou began, but was interrupted by a shrill scream.

The six children and their Digital Monsters ran toward the source of the scream. They came into a clearing and saw Mimi running out of the forest right to where the others were. A rounded, green creature with four legs and two leaves sprouting from its head was running alongside Mimi.

"Mimi-chan!" Taichi called out to the girl.

Overhead, a large red stag beetle, also known as Kuwagamon, came bursting out of the trees. It roared loudly and swooped down, barely missing the children's heads, as it continued on and crashed through the trees.

"Mimi, are you okay?" the small green creature asked.

Mimi lay on her knees, attempting to regain her composure. "Tanemon..." she whimpered.

Sora jogged over to Mimi and kneeled down next to her. She had a worried look on her face as she attempted to cheer the other girl up. "Sora-san!" Mimi whimpered in fear.

Kuwagamon made a complete turn around to have another shot at attacking the children. It swooped down, crashing into the trees of the forest in attempt to catch its prey.

"Here it comes again!" Taichi exclaimed.

"Get up and run!" Sora urged the group.

The large beetle-type monster came swooping down in attempt to strike. A yell of "Get down!" was heard as the seven children crashed into the dirt, covering their heads for protection. A sound of impact echoed in the forest accompanied by a startled cry from the larger creature. It veered sharply to the left, crashing harshly into even more trees.

One by one, the children slowly lifted themselves off the ground, listening to the sounds of the disorientated Kuwagamon. Taichi was first to stand, shaking his head furiously in every direction, trying to assess the situation.

_THUNK!_

A hand sized rock landed by the boy's feet, causing him to glance at it. He looked up and also noticed the remnants of a few pink bubbles, similar to the one's that Koromon had spit out in attacking the large red beetle.

"What just happened?" Yamato asked, standing with Takeru.

"I don't know..."

Heavy breathing reached their ears. Taichi and the others turned there heads in the direction of the breathing and were stunned at what they saw. Hikari stood with her arm jutted out, as if she had just thrown something - the rock. Her cheeks were tinted red and was a bit of a mess. By her feet was Munmon, a worried look on the purple creature's face.

"H-Hikari-san!" Sora exclaimed.

"Th-There are more of these..._things_?" Hikari asked in a soft voice.

By _'things, '_ Hikari was referring to the small Digital Monsters that were with Taichi and the others, as well as Kuwagamon.

"Apparently so," Yamato answered her question.

Hikari looked away and let her arms fall to her sides. Her breathing had returned to normal. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the fierce roar of Kuwagamon. It was coming back yet again! Hikari looked up in horror. She could see the flying tree tops in the distance, indicating to her and the others that Kuwagamon was definitely coming. Hikari swallowed hard and took off in a fierce sprint, following after Taichi and the others. Her breath became ragged and her cheeks turned bright red.

"What kind of place is this?!" Jyou shouted as he ran for his life.

No one bothered to answer as they were too busy fleeing for their lives. The density of the trees began to dissipitate the further they ran. The trees altogether disappeared once the eight children and their monstrous friends came to the edge of a cliff overlooking the salty sea. They came to a halt. Taichi kneeled down and looked over the edge, hoping for a way to escape. His face contorted into frustration as he turned back to the others. "It's a dead end," he said bitterly.

"Let's look for another road!"

"A-Another road...?!" Sora exclaimed.

The trees behind her and the others rustled fiercely as Kuwagamon burst through, scaring the children to the very edge. AS Kuwagamon flew over the cliff, the children ducked and cowered in fear as the creature came back yet again. Since Taichi was closer to the edge of the cliff, he was the one that Kuwagamon chose to pursue.

"Taichi!" Koromon exclaimed.

The small, pastel pink creature bounced over to Taichi and jumped high into the air. He blew out many pink bubbles, but all they did was pop against Kuwagamon's head. The larger monster rammed into Koromon, knocking him into the dirt. This gave the creature ample opportunity to swoop down and target the other children. When Kuwagamon drew closer, the seven remaining monsters jumped into the air, spitting out many pink bubbles as well.

The bubbles popped against Kuwagamon's head as it barreled through the smaller monsters and straight into the trees behind the children. As all the noise settled down, the children began to pick themselves up. Sora lifted her head up first, and was first to notice all of the small monsters lying on the ground, practically defeated.

"Pyocomon..." she whispered.

"You moron! How can you be so rash!?" Taichi scolded Koromon as he held the small creature in his arms.

"But...I...have to protect you, Taichi," Koromon weakly replied.

The other children ran to their fallen comrades, holding them closely in their arms. Hikari was the only one hesitant to going to Munmon's aid, but when she did, her eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Mu-Munmon..." she whimpered.

The load chattering roar of Kuwagamon echoed in the air. The children looked up in horror as Kuwagamon escaped from the collapsed trees, rubbing its sharp mandible together as a challenge. They picked up their friends and ran over to Taichi, cowering at the edge of the cliff. Kuwagamon ascended to its hind legs before them, still ready to fight.

"That thing...It's still alive?" Taichi asked in disbelief.

Kuwagamon advanced further, clicking its mandibles more and more the closer it came to the children. It was then that each of the eight small Digital Monsters began struggling against their partners' holds on them.

"We have to fight!" Koromon continued to struggle.

"Why would you want to do something - something so stupid like that!" Hikari scolded the struggling Munmon in worry.

"I have to protect you, Hikari-san!" Munmon choked out.

The others produced similar replies, refusing to give in to the children's wishes. They finally broke free and jumped in front of the eight children, ready to fight to the end. The small creatures charged forward for their final attack. Each child shouted out their partner's name, hoping that they would listen. Taichi went as far as starting forward in attempt to catch Koromon before he was killed.

"...Munmon..." Hikari chocked out softly.

Eight lights sparkled brightly. The sky turned dark and a black vortex churned high in the sky. Rainbow colored lights descended to the cliff, engulfing the eight small Digital Monsters. The eight children gasped in awe as amazing transformations began to take place.

_"Koromon, shinka...Agumon!"_

_"Pyocomon, shinka...Piyomon!"_

_"Motimon, shinka...Tentomon!"_

_"Tsunomon, shinka...Gabumon!"_

_"Tokomon, shinka...Patamon!"_

_"Pukamon, shinka...Gomamon!"_

_"Tanemon, shinka...Palmon!"_

_"Munmon, shinka...Runamon!"_

The light disappeared, revealing entirely different creatures.

"Wh-What's this...?" Taichi muttered in amazement.

"Let's get 'im!" the once Koromon exclaimed.

All eight Digital Monsters attacked the much larger Kuwagamon full force. Unfortunately, they were knocked away, rolling harshly onto the ground before standing once more. A collective gasp was heard. "This is nothing!" the once Koromon exclaimed. Kuwagamon opened his wings, preparing to take flight, but he once Tanemon stopped it from doing so.

"Poison Ivy!" her attack rang out. Long green tipped purple vines came forth from her front limbs, tying around Kuwagamon's hind limbs, dragging him back to the ground. The once Tokomon took flight, inflating his body before exhaling, calling out "Air Shot!" simultaneously. The attack was effective, knocking into Kuwagamon's head and forcing it down.

The once Motimon flew into the air, releasing a strain of bright red electricity called "Petit Thunder." This attack also hit, making the large Digital Monster collapse. The once Pukamon slid into Kuwagamon's leg, knocking it down into a kneeling position.

"Everyone, stay back!" the once Koromon proclaimed, "Baby Flame!"

The once Koromon inhaled deeply, drawing forth a small fireball from his stomach and spitting it out towards Kuwagamon. This was followed up by attacks from the once Tsunomon, Pyocomon, and Munmon in the names of "Petit Fire," "Magical Fire," and "Dark Crusher." Each attack hit, causing flames to appear on Kuwagamon's body. The smaller monsters grouped together, and launched a combined final attack. The force from the attacks resulted in flames engulfing Kuwagamon's upper body. It stumbled back before finally crashing into the trees behind it.

The only sounds afterwards were that of the gentle breeze and the astonished gasps of the children. "They did it..." Taichi soon mumbled. Each monster than ran to its partner, celebrating one way or another. The once Munmon ran over to Hikari and tackled her in a hug around the waist.

"Ne, Hikari-san, we did it!" the once Munmon exclaimed.

Hikari was taken aback by the sudden show of emotion, and didn't know quite how to react. When her partner pulled away and looked at her with those bright eyes, though, the girl couldn't help but allow a small smile to tug at her lips, and a light color to stain her cheeks. Hikari nodded, "Yeah."

"Taichi!" Sora yelled at the boy.

Taichi and the others looked up to see that Kuwagamon had once again appeared. Taichi and his partner ran away, narrowly escaping the set of mandibles that came crashing down and split into the earth. The cliff began to shake as it broke off from the force of the sudden attack. The children screamed as they fell over the edge and toward the awaiting ocean.

Hikari's eyes widened as she felt her chest tightening. A panic attack? She closed her eyes tightly and gripped her jacket tightly with shaking hands. They rested over her heart. Hikari cracked her eyes opened a little to see the once Munmon hugging the frightened girl tightly.

"Don't worry, Hikari-san, _trust me_," she said calmly.

_'Never could I imagine what was in store for the others and myself after that fateful encounter. In the beginning, I despised it with a passion, but I would soon learn that coming to this strange new place and meeting Munmon would be the best therapy for myself.'_


End file.
